With Linux on the desktop going from a slow crawl to verging on an explosion, many have toiled with the question: How do we make this happen faster? A well-known Austin-based Linux Advocate thinks he has the answer.

The reason they will move is because the want the freedom that comes with Open Source OS's. They will get tired of the never ending BS from Microsoft. They will move *AWAY* from Windows in search of something else. They won't move *TOWARD* Linux for the applications.

Actually, the exact opposite of what you said is true. As a friend of mine says:

I don't like Windows - I like what I can run on Windows.

You concentrate on building better apps and you will get a HELL of a lot more converts than spewing a bunch of political crap to people who could care less about politics. Take it from me, a Windows user. Drop the preaching and the 'Bill Gates is a seal-clubbing bastard' drivel. I've heard it before and I'm not impressed. Is MS the spawn of Satan? Maybe. Do I care? Not really. Perhaps I would've cared about 10-15 years ago when I was still in my teens, but I'm too old for that sh*t. Understand? You give me some real-world examples of how I'm going to be more productive and get real work done faster on Linux and I will listen. And remember, I'm a power user. I don't get viruses, my computer does not have spyware, and I don't have any major problems to speak of on Windows.

So why should you care about users like me? If you manage to convert power users like me, you'll also convert a lot of other people by default whom I provide tech support for. They will switch if I tell them to. And I will tell them to switch if I switch myself, because I'd want them all to be on the same platform as what I'm using.

If what you say is true then you should already have been converted by now. Linux already has tons of great apps. The fact that you don't know this just reinforces the point that making more OSS apps Linux-only probably won't raise the visibility of Linux, or the apps, whereas making them cross-platform will at least raise the visibility of the apps, and will make a switch to Linux at least able to be considered by the users of said apps.

You give me some real-world examples of how I'm going to be more productive and get real work done faster on Linux and I will listen. And remember, I'm a power user. I don't get viruses, my computer does not have spyware, and I don't have any major problems to speak of on Windows. So why should you care about users like me? If you manage to convert power users like me, you'll also convert a lot of other people by default whom I provide tech support for. They will switch if I tell them to. And I will tell them to switch if I switch myself, because I'd want them all to be on the same platform as what I'm using.

It really depends on what you're used to and what you are using your computer for.

I too regularly use Windows (XP) as a platform to produce and DJ electonica. I've tried using Linux as a studio PC and it didn't even come close to the power and ease I already had with Windows, a select few sequencers and VSTi's.

However for surfing the net, reading e-mails, watching videos, etc I find Linux a much quicker and easier platform.

And for my home server I run FreeBSD. It's quicker and easier to set up that windows and runs smoother on a box.

So basically there is no "one size fits all" OS. It's just picking the best platform for the best job.